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Line shutters a third of its games to refocus on more successful titles

Messaging company Line has announced a significant purge of its mobile gaming apps that will see nearly one-third of the titles on its gaming platform bite the dust. Line has closed games before, but the shuttering of so many (20) in one go is a first for the Japan-based firm.

Gaming is thought to be responsible for more than 60 percent of Line’s revenue — which stood at $143 million for its most recent quarter — with in-app purchases the key money-maker. Part of Line’s success is knowing which games are resonating and making the most money per user, so it makes sense that it discards those that have lost their freshness or were never popular with its 400 million plus registered users.

In a short statement, the company said that it “hopes to focus its resources on titles that are enjoying greater growth in order to further propel the service as a global gaming platform.”

One of its successful examples is Line Cookie Run, which last week passed 30 million downloads on iOS and Android thanks to strong adoption in Japan and Thailand.

In total, Line offers more than 50 apps and games that connect with its main messaging app to share scores and battle friends, but from today the following titles will no longer be supported:

Line Paladog

Line Touch

Line Elgard

Line Neko Copter

Line IceQpick

Line Birzzle

Line Birzzle Plus

Line Birzzle Friends

Line AirPenguin

Line Twinbee

Line Slimeshot

Line DROP Spirit Catcher

Line Dash Girl Rubies

Line Fly! ANIMAL Rubies

Line MapleStory Village

Line RUNRUN HERO

Line Fluffy Diver

Line Let’s Golf

Line Patapoko Animal

Line Cartoon wars

Line has promised that users with existing credit in these shuttered games will get their money back, but it isn’t clear whether it plans to replace these 20 titles or continue with its existing games portfolio.